Philippines RPCV Philip Bloom implicated as co-conspirator in an indictment against Robert J. Stein, an employee of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq in 2003 and 2004

Philip H. Bloom, a U.S. citizen who has lived in Romania for many years, was arrested in 2005 at Newark International Airport in New Jersey. He made a brief appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Washington and remains in federal custody. Prosecutors at the court hearing did not detail the charges against Bloom, but U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson said they involve money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the government. A government affidavit alleges that Bloom conspired with officials of the Coalition Provisional Authority and U.S. military to rig bids for contracts in Al-Hillah and Karbala, two cities 50 to 60 miles south of Baghdad.

Robert J. Stein was responsible for $82 million in CPA reconstruction funds. In February 2006 he pleaded guilty to five felony counts, admitting he stole more than $2 million and funneled $9 million in contracts to Bloom. Following are emails between Robert J. Stein, Philip Bloom, and Army Reserve officers implicated as co-conspirators.

Green Zone Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006. From emails between Robert J. Stein, Philip Bloom, and Army Reserve officers implicated as co-conspirators in an indictment against Stein, an employee of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. Stein was responsible for $82 million in CPA reconstruction funds. In February he pleaded guilty to five felony counts, admitting he stole more than $2 million and funneled $9 million in contracts to Bloom. Originally from Harper's Magazine, June 2006. Sources

From: Bob To: Phil

FYI, [redacted] and I got the contract through for ground prep at the police academy. I will give you 200K sometime tomorrow afternoon.

I love to give you money!

From: Bob To: Phil

I was talking to [redacted] about your next set of projects. He is ready to award everything to you but asked me if there was any way we could use a name other than your company's? He wants to make sure it doesn't look like all the work is going to you. If you can, put your bid on new letterhead. I can award it tomorrow. Sorry to be so businesslike. I would love to slow down just for a few days and relax but I need to take care of all this stuff.

From: Phil To: Bob

I will do that. Since we are paid in cash it doesn't really matter tax-wise . . . See you tomorrow.

From: Bob To: Phil

Curious about what [redacted] had to say. I will warn you to be very careful what you say around him. If he ever knows what we are doing he will want “his cut”! Remember what I told you, he is a player trying to get whatever he can. If he ever knows something about a person he will use it to his advantage. We have come only a short way and we have much further to go. The fewer people who know what we are doing the better.

From: Bob To: Phil

Thanks for the booze. That will give me some bargaining material here and there. I am not worried.

From: Bob To: Phil

The watches arrived last night and [redacted] is happy for now. He told me you are going to get a Rolex for his wife. That's fine. [Redacted] saw them and liked them. I'll probably give him my watch and just get another one for me. I want to keep him happy and on our side.

From: [Redacted] To: Phil

Hi Phil, Here is the info you requested on the SUV I'd like, a 2004 GMC Yukon Denali All- Wheel Drive. Let me know how I can help you with the local stuff.

From: [Redacted] To: Phil

The truck is Great!!! People I work with cannot stop commenting on how much they love it. It drives real smooth like a sedan.

As you know, Bob and I keep in touch. He told me the way these State Dept. guys are jerking you around. A friend who is working for them said they have a huge number of vacancies for Baghdad and Kuwait. The State Dept. can't get anyone to serve there. That means they'll have to start closing these places. They can't keep them staffed. So don't worry about the State Dept. jerks. If there were any smoking guns, they would have been found months ago.

Take care of yourself and make sure you stay safe. Nothing in Iraq is worth dying for.

Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace CorpsSenator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

He served with honorOne year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.

Peace Corps' Screening and Medical ClearanceThe purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

The Peace Corps is "fashionable" againThe LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

PCOL readership increases 100%Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

History of the Peace CorpsPCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

Read the stories and leave your comments.

Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Harper's Magazine

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Philippines; Iraq; Crime

PCOL3626076

Add a Message

This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.